ProQuest Dissertations & Theses: How Do I Submit My Thesis or Dissertation to ProQuest?

Your document will need to be in pdf format. Here are two ways you can convert a Word document to pdf. If you used a different word processor, see your word processor's instructions for converting a file to pdf.

Use Word to convert your document:

• In Word click File
• Choose Save As
• Choose the location to save the file
• Name the file and change the file type to PDF and click Save

ProQuest Conversion Tool:

• Once you have created an account in ProQuest, you will be given the option of converting your file.

Go to http://www.etdadmin.com/sdstate

Click the "Submit my dissertation/thesis" link

Create a ProQuest account or log in if you are returning

• This account is free
• You can choose whatever username and password you like as long as they are 4 or more characters long
• You will need to provide your email address, name, country of citizenship

Verify your account

• You will get an e-mail with which you can verify your ProQuest account

• From the My ETDs tab, read the instructions on the site carefully.
  • You will be able to update your document as you make edits requested by the Graduate School.
  • Your signature page will be added later.
• If your file is not in PDF format with fonts embedded, use the PDF Conversion Tool if your file is not already in PDF format (see the box above about creating PDF files)
  • You will get an e-mail when your PDF has been finished
• If your file is already in PDF format with fonts embedded, go to the Submit my ETD link and upload your PDF.
• Go through the submission steps listed on the left of the page. You can do the steps in any order you wish, but they must all be completed unless marked optional.
• Explanation of some of the options is given below.

Your thesis or dissertation is already copyrighted by you whether you register it or not.

• You can have your copyright registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.
  • This gives you the right to sue over copyright infringements and some other benefits.
• ProQuest will register your copyright for you:   $55.00
  • This is optional.

SDSU's policy on embargoes (publication delays):

• You may delay making your publication public in the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database in accordance with SDSU's policy.
• Delays may last for 6 months, 1, 2, or 3 years.
  • Delays of less than 3 years may be extended up to 3 years.
  • Date of the delay beginning begins the day after the graduation ceremony of the semester in which the thesis or dissertation was deposited.
• Request a delay in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School.
  • Include a justification for the delay.
  • Request may come from the student, the Committee Chair who supervised the student's thesis or dissertation, or the Assistant Vice President for Technology Transfer and Commercialization.
• Delays apply to the abstract of the work as well as the thesis or dissertation.
• A decision will be given within two weeks of receiving the written request.

Traditional Publishing

• Information about your dissertation or thesis will be found searching the ProQuest Dissertation & Theses databases as well as subject specific databases that purchase information from ProQuest.
• The full text of your thesis will be available to those institutions that subscribe to the ProQuest Dissertation & Theses database in PDF format (in accordance with SDSU's embargo policy).
• ProQuest will sell copies of your dissertation or thesis to libraries or individuals who wish to purchase a copy whether or not they subscribe to the ProQuest Dissertation & Theses database.
  • You will receive royalties on any purchases of your dissertation or thesis.
  • To receive these royalties, you must maintain a current address with ProQuest.
• There is no fee associated with the traditional publishing model.

Open Access Publishing

• The goal of open access publishing is to make scholarship available freely to as wide an audience as possible.
• The full text and information about your thesis will be available for free via the internet.
  • You will not receive royalties on any purchases of your dissertation or thesis.
• The fee to publish your dissertation or thesis in an open access format is $95.00.
  • You will pay this one-time fee.

Other options

• You may choose to have your dissertation or thesis searchable by search engines such as Google or Yahoo.
  • The full-text will only be available if you have chosen to publish in the open access model.
• You may choose to have your dissertation or thesis sold by third-party vendors such as Amazon.com or Barns & Noble.
  • If you chose the traditional publishing model, you will get royalties from these sales.

You will be required to supply one copy of your dissertation or thesis to the SDSU Briggs Library for archival purposes and to pay for the binding of that copy. DO NOT DO THAT THROUGH PROQUEST. Contact the library for this copy.

• Briggs Library Bindery: (605)688-5566 to pay by Hobo Dough or cash.
• Use  this web form to pay with debit or credit card.

You may choose to buy extra copies of your dissertation or thesis either from the library or through ProQuest.

• ProQuest offers more options including size and soft versus hard cover.
• The Library is less expensive.

Once you have completed the submission process and your degrees have been approved by the department and the graduate school:

• The Graduate School will add the signature page to your document after you turn the page in.
• Finally, the Graduate School will approve your submission.